Generational Blessings of The Gospel
Written by Jeremy Odekerken | Grace Baptist Member
“If you want to be able to tell whether or not a group is a cult, all you need to remember is that they will always add, subtract, multiply, or divide in some way. Cults add other texts to the Bible, they subtract from the deity of Christ, they multiply what you need to do to be saved, and they divide themselves from the church.” My grandfather shared these words of wisdom with me countless times throughout my youth—passionately teaching me how to defend the truth, analyze theological assertions, and stay rooted in biblical orthodoxy. Not only did he share these truths with me, but also with thousands of college students whose lives and faith have been shaped by his steadfast commitment to God’s Word.
Yet what might be an even greater testament to the gospel’s power in his life is the legacy of a Christian family that he left behind, one that I now stand within as a beneficiary three generations later. As Moses declared to Israel: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9). As I look back at my family’s legacy, I see a clear picture of God’s faithfulness to his people and how he blesses those who choose to devote themselves and their households to his purposes.
A Legacy of Making Christ Known
My grandfather, Ed, grew up in a cult as a Jehovah’s Witness, yet God chose him to be an unlikely champion for his kingdom. From a young age, he was taught that salvation came through obedience and works, not by grace. His weekends were spent going door-to-door, his evenings worshipping at the Kingdom Hall. His whole life was shaped by the endless striving of a religion that could never provide assurance.
Then, as a teenager, everything changed. Invited by some Christian classmates to meet with their pastor, Ed went determined to argue for the “truth” of The Watchtower. Instead, he encountered something entirely different. The pastor listened, cared, and finally prayed—with tears in his eyes—for my grandfather’s soul. That night, Ed went home restless, unable to escape the weight of the gospel. In the quiet early hours of the morning, he bowed beside his bed and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.
The very next day, despite fierce opposition from his mother, he walked away from the Jehovah’s Witnesses and never looked back. From that moment on, his life became about one thing: making Christ known.
Over the years, he poured himself into writing, teaching, mentoring, and witnessing to thousands who were lost in the shadows of false religion. He was relentless in sharing the good news of Christ’s redeeming love—whether with a student in class, a visitor in his home, or a server in a restaurant. He was a professor by profession but an evangelist by passion.
Yet what struck me most was how that godly passion overflowed into our family. He was not content to only preach and write; he lived the gospel at home. Every Christmas Eve, even though everyone in attendance for our family gathering was already a believer, he would pause the festivities to focus our attentions once again on the good news: that God, in his faithfulness, sent His Son as a baby to live the perfect life we could never live and to die for our sins. With tears in his eyes and joy in his voice, he reminded us that this story was not just history—it was our hope.
“He modeled for us what it meant to winsomely and passionately share Christ, whether with a neighbor, a colleague, or a friend.”
His example has taken root in his children and grandchildren. When he passed away at 85, his memorial was filled with family, students, and spiritual children who testified to his impact. His headstone reflects what his life was all about: “He lived to make Christ known.”
A Legacy of Service
If my grandfather left a legacy of proclamation, my grandmother left a legacy of service. She was always the first to step in and help—whether it was making a meal, giving me a ride, volunteering at church, or caring for children. To us, she was the very definition of a servant’s heart. She lived out the words of Jesus, who said that the greatest among us would be the servant of all.
Her life was woven into the fabric of her church, Grace Baptist. In many ways, the rhythms of her week were set by the rhythms of the church calendar. If the doors were open, she was there. She served faithfully in the women’s Bible study, attended nearly every event, and cherished the opportunity to sit and listen to the choir and orchestra—her favorite part of gathering with God’s people.
Through her consistency, she showed me that church was not just a place to attend, but a family to belong to and a mission to serve. She taught us, not by long speeches but by quiet example, that serving Christ often looks like serving others in small, ordinary, and faithful ways.
Her legacy of service continues to inspire me today.
A Legacy of Faithfulness
If my grandparents modeled proclamation and service, my parents have carried forward a legacy of faithfulness. What has marked their lives is not just the extraordinary moments, but the steady, ordinary rhythms of daily life lived with consistent trust in God. Their faith has never been loud or showy—it has been patient, durable, and deeply rooted.
For more than forty years, they have been faithful to one another. Their marriage has been a testimony to covenant love, not just in seasons of joy, but through trials and difficulties as well. They have also been faithful to the church, showing me from a young age that worship and service are not optional accessories to the Christian life but essential habits of grace. Week after week, year after year, they showed up—and not just to sit in the pew but to give themselves to others.
My mother used her gifts of writing, speaking, care, and counseling to encourage and guide those around her. My father was quick to offer his time, serving in whatever ministry had a need, from the tech team, to the library, to the Passion Play. Together, they modeled generosity—not only financially but in their willingness to pour out their lives for others.
Their faithfulness was especially evident in times of hardship. When my mother faced serious health struggles, including open-heart surgery, they leaned not on their own strength but on God’s sustaining grace. In sickness and in recovery, in the valley as much as the mountaintop, they lived what they believed: that God is faithful, and therefore his people can be too.
“Looking back, I realize their greatest gift to me was not a single lesson or moment, but the consistency of their lives. Their faith in the everyday was a steady witness that continues to shape me today.”
Stewarding the Legacy Well
The Greek historian Pericles claimed, “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” By God’s grace and kind provision, the qualities modeled by my family have been woven deeply into the substance of my own life. I stand today as a direct beneficiary of their devotion, their faithfulness, and their love for Christ. I want to give grateful testimony to those gifts they have left me—for the ways they have enriched my life, anchored my faith, and pointed me to Jesus again and again. They carried forward the call found in Deuteronomy 6:5-9:
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
I have been blessed by this legacy, and now I seek to steward it well within my own family and in the way I serve and love my church family here at Grace Baptist. From my grandfather, I have received a passion to proclaim Christ; from my grandmother, the example of a servant’s heart; and from my parents, the steady faithfulness of everyday obedience. These qualities are not meant to end with me. My prayer is that they would continue to ripple outward—shaping my home, yes, but also strengthening my church family, as I live them out in service, love, and devotion to Christ’s body.